The
2001 editions of the CBCL/6-18, TRF, and YSR syndromes were
derived from a combination of exploratory and confirmatory
factor analyses of samples that were drawn largely from the
U.S. To determine whether ratings of problems in other societies
would fit the syndromes derived mainly from U.S. samples,
Masha Y. Ivanova and colleagues from many societies collaborated
in performing confirmatory factor analyses of CBCL/6-18 ratings
of 58,051 6-18-year-olds from 30 societies, TRF ratings of
30,030 6-15-year-olds from 20 societies, and YSR ratings of
30,243 11-18-year-olds from 23 societies. The societies were
in Asia, Africa, Australia, the Caribbean, Eastern, Western,
Southern, and Northern Europe, and the Middle East.According
to the Root Mean Square Error of Approximation (RMSEA), which
is considered the best fit index for the type of data and
analyses used, the data from all societies met criteria for
good or at least adequate fit to the 2001 syndromes scored
from all three forms. This means that parent-, teacher-, and
self-ratings in all the societies formed patterns of co-occurrence
among problems that fit the 2001 syndromes. For all three
forms, the syndromes are designated as Anxious/Depressed,
Withdrawn/Depressed, Somatic Complaints, Social Problems,
Thought Problems, Attention Problems, Rule-Breaking Behavior,
and Aggressive Behavior.Previous factor analyses
of the TRF showed that teachers' ratings of the Attention
Problems syndrome could be effectively represented in terms
of two subsyndromes designated as Inattention and Hyperactivity-Impulsivity.
These subsyndromes are similar to the DSM-IV Inattentive and
Hyperactive-Impulsive types of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity
Disorder (ADHD). To test these subsyndromes of the TRF Attention
Problems syndrome in teachers' ratings from 20 societies,
Ivanova et al. did confirmatory factor analyses of a hierarchical
model in which the Attention Problems syndrome subsumed the
Inattention and Hyperactivity-Impulsivity subsyndromes. Teachers'
ratings from all 20 societies were found to fit this hierarchical
model of an Attention Problems syndrome that subsumes Inattention
and Hyperactivity-Impulsivity subsyndromes. The Ivanova et
al. multicultural findings thus support the separate Inattention
and Hyperactive-Impulsive scales scored from the TRF, as well
as the eight syndromes scored from the CBCL/6-18, TRF, and
YSR. Coupled with the findings summarized in the Research
Update titled "Multicultural Comparisons of CBCL/6-18,
TRF, and YSR Scores," the Ivanova et al. findings provide
research support for scoring the syndromes for many cultural
groups and for using the ASEBA Module for Ages 6-18 with Multicultural
Options.